שִׂים: שָׁלוֹם
טוֹבָה
וּבְרָכָה
חֵן
וָחֶֽסֶד
וְרַחֲמִים
עָלֵֽינוּ וְעַל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּֽךָ.
Grant: peace,
goodness,
(and) blessing
favor
(and) kindness
(and) compassion
upon us and upon all Israel, Your people.
The six things we ask Hashem to grant us correspond to the six blessings in Birchas Kohanim.
Introduction: The coming sentence of this beracha makes allusions to the three Avos, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.
What is the connection between the Avos and Birchas Kohanim that warrants them to be alluded to in this beracha? Perhaps it has to do with the Medrash which states that before the Kohanim were given the power of blessing, the Avos held those powers. The Medrash says:
אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה כְּבָר כָּתוּב וַאֲבָרֶכְכָה, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וֶהְיֵה בְּרָכָה, אֶלָּא אָמַר לוֹ עַד כָּאן הָיִיתִי זָקוּק לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עוֹלָמִי, מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ הֲרֵי הַבְּרָכוֹת מְסוּרוֹת לָךְ, לְמַאן דְּחָזֵי לְךָ לִמְבָרְכָא בָּרֵיךְ.
Additionally, it may have to do with the fact that it was in the merit of Avraham Avinu that his descendants would merit the Kehuna (priesthood), as the Gemara relates:
אָמַר רַבִּי זְכַרְיָה מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: בִּיקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהוֹצִיא כְּהוּנָּה מִשֵּׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן״.
כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִקְדִּים בִּרְכַּת אַבְרָהָם לְבִרְכַּת הַמָּקוֹם — הוֹצִיאָהּ מֵאַבְרָהָם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן״.
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Rabbi Zekharya said in the name of Rabbi Yishmael: The Holy One, Blessed be He, wanted the priesthood to emerge from Shem, so that his children would be priests, as it is stated: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was priest of God the Most High” (Genesis 14:18).
Once Melchizedek, traditionally identified as Shem, placed the blessing of Abraham before the blessing of the Omnipresent, He had the priesthood emerge from Abraham in particular, and not from any other descendant of Shem. As it is stated: “And he blessed him and said: Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth, and blessed be God the Most High” (Genesis 14:19–20).
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בָּרְ֒כֵֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כֻּלָּֽנוּ כְּאֶחָד
בְּאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ, כִּי בְאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ נָתַֽתָּ לָּֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ תּוֹרַת חַיִּים וְאַהֲבַת חֶֽסֶד
Bless us, our Father, all of us as one
with the light of Your countenance. For by the light of Your countenance You gave us Adonoy our God, a Torah of life and the love of kindliness,
בָּרְ֒כֵֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כֻּלָּֽנוּ כְּאֶחָד
Although in the simple understanding we are asking Hashem to bless us as one, in unity, the clause can also be an allusion to Avraham Avinu who is titled "one" in the passuk in Yechezkel.
After Eretz Yisrael was conquered by the Babalonians and Klal Yisrael was exiled, Yechezkel attempted to inspire the despondent nation by recalling the promise Hashem made to Avraham that Eretz Yisrael will always belong to his children.
(כד) בֶּן־אָדָ֗ם יֹ֠שְׁבֵ֠י הֶחֳרָב֨וֹת הָאֵ֜לֶּה עַל־אַדְמַ֤ת יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֹמְרִ֣ים לֵאמֹ֔ר אֶחָד֙ הָיָ֣ה אַבְרָהָ֔ם וַיִּירַ֖שׁ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ רַבִּ֔ים לָ֛נוּ נִתְּנָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ לְמוֹרָשָֽׁה׃ {ס}
(24) O mortal, those who live in these ruins in the land of Israel argue, “Abraham was but one man, yet he was granted possession of the land. We are many; surely, the land has been given as a possession to us.”
(A number of explanations are offered in the Tosefta as to why Avraham was called "one".
דרש ר"ע הרי הוא אומר (יחזקאל ל״ג:כ״ד) בן אדם יושבי החרבות האלה וגו' והלא דברים ק"ו ומה אברהם שלא עבד אלא אלוה אחד ירש את הארץ אנו שעובדין אלוהות הרבה אינו דין שנירש את הארץ.
(ו) ר' נחמיה אומר ומה אברהם שלא היה לו אלא בן אחד והקריבו ירש את הארץ אנו [שבנינו ובנותינו מקריבין] לעבודת כוכבים אינו דין שנירש את הארץ ר"א בנו של ר' יוסי הגלילי אומר ומה אברהם שלא היה לו במי לתלות ירש את הארץ אנו שיש לנו במי לתלות אינו דין שנירש את הארץ [ואני אומר ומה אברהם שלא נצטוה אלא מצוה יחידית ירש את הארץ אנו שנצטוינו על כל מצות אינו דין שנירש את הארץ]
Avraham is also given the moniker "one" in a passuk in Yeshaya.
(ב) הַבִּ֙יטוּ֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֣ם אֲבִיכֶ֔ם וְאֶל־שָׂרָ֖ה תְּחוֹלֶלְכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אֶחָ֣ד קְרָאתִ֔יו וַאֲבָרְכֵ֖הוּ וְאַרְבֵּֽהוּ׃
(2) Look back to Abraham your father And to Sarah who brought you forth. For he was only one when I called him, But I blessed him and made him many.
As with Yechezkel, Yeshaya comforts Klal Yisrael in exile by using Avraham as inspiration. If Avraham, who was alone in his mission, Hashem watched over him, surely He will watch over his children in exile.
בְּאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ
This clause is an allusion to Yitzchak Avinu, because the Torah uses the root word "yaer" in the context of Yitzchak Avinu.
At the conclusion of the Akeida, after Avraham offered a ram in place of his son Yitzchak, Avraham named the site of the Akeida "Hashem Yeraeh."
In this clause, we are asking Hashem to shower us with the blessings of Birchas Kohanim in the merit of Yitzchak Avinu.
It is somewhat interesting that we are invoking the zechus of Yitzchak by invoking his involvement in the Akeida since the Akeida wasn't a test for him, rather for Avraham who had to sacrifice his only son (see Griz Al HaTorah for the reason why this wasn't a test for Yitzchak)
However, there is a source which shows that the Akeida was also a showcase of Yitzchak's devotion to Hashem. Rashi says:
(א) אחר הדברים האלה. ...וְיֵ"אֹ אַחַר דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל, שֶׁהָיָה מִתְפָּאֵר עַל יִצְחָק שֶׁמָּל בֶּן י"ג שָׁנָה וְלֹא מִחָה, אָמַר לוֹ יִצְחָק בְּאֵבֶר א' אַתָּה מְיָרְאֵנִי? אִלּוּ אָמַר לִי הַקָּבָּ"ה זְבַח עַצְמְךָ לְפָנַי, לֹא הָיִיתִי מְעַכֵּב.
(1) אחר הדברים האלה AFTER THESE THINGS [or, WORDS] ...Others say that it means “after the words of Ishmael” who boasted to Isaac that he had been circumcised when he was thirteen years old without resisting. Isaac replied to him, “You think to intimidate me by mentioning the loss of one part of the body! If the Holy One, blessed be He, were to tell me, “Sacrifice yourself to Me” I would not refuse” (Sanhedrin 89b).
The connection between "Yerah" said by the Akeida and "Yaer" used here is that they have the same letters, but in jumbled form. However, their definitions are different, as "Yerah" means to see, whereas "Yaer" means to illunimate something.
I saw a Baal HaTurim who might shed light on this. Baal HaTurim says:
(א) יאר כנגד יצחק שראה העקידה ומת והאיר הקב''ה את עיניו והחייהו כדאיתא בפרקי דר''א.
(1) Yaer = This refers to Yitzchak who saw the Akeida and died, and Hashem illuminated his eyes and revived him.
However, I don't know if this pshat directly relates to the passuk Etz Yosef is bringing which is alluding to Yitzchak, because the term "Yeraeh" in the passuk Etz Yosef brings is a reflexive word referring to Hashem being seen on the mountain, not to Yitzchak seeing Hashem.
However, perhaps the connection between the pasuk the Etz Yosef brings and the merit of Yitzchak can be explained based on what Rashi says on the passuk there, where he writes:
וּמִ"אַ ה' יִרְאֶה עֲקֵדָה זוֹ לִסְלֹחַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל שָׁנָה וּלְהַצִּילָם מִן הַפֻּרְעָנוּת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּאָמֵר הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה – בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים – בְּהַר ה' יֵרָאֶה אֶפְרוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק צָבוּר וְעוֹמֵד לְכַפָּרָה:
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The Midrashic explanation is: May God see this Binding of Isaac every year to forgive Israel and to save them from punishment, so that it may be said “in this day” — in all future generations — “there are seen in the mountain of the Lord” the ashes of Isaac heaped up as it were and serving as a means of atonement (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 23).
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(יד) וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יִרְאֶ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יֵאָמֵ֣ר הַיּ֔וֹם בְּהַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה יֵרָאֶֽה׃
(14) And Abraham named that site Adonai-yireh, whence the present saying, “On the mount of יהוה there is vision.”
See Tanchuma there...
Also, this clause is homologous to the middle clause of the Birchas Kohanim, upon which this beracha is founded upon, where it says:
(כה) יָאֵ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃ {ס}
It also resembles a terminology found in Tehillim.
(טז) אַשְׁרֵ֣י הָ֭עָם יֹדְעֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה בְּֽאוֹר־פָּנֶ֥יךָ יְהַלֵּכֽוּן׃
O LORD, they walk in the light of Your presence.
כִּי בְאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ נָתַֽתָּ לָּֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
This clause alludes to Yaakov Avinu, the Amud HaTorah.
Yaakov Avinu's dedication to Torah was particularly highlighted when he committed himself to learn Torah in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever for fourteen years - non-stop, as recorded in the Gemara in Megillah:
דְּתַנְיָא: הָיָה יַעֲקֹב בְּבֵית עֵבֶר מוּטְמָן אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה.
(As) it is taught in a baraita: Jacob was studying in the house of Eber for fourteen years while in hiding from his brother Esau.
כִּי בְאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ נָתַֽתָּ לָּֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ תּוֹרַת חַיִּים
The idea of the Torah being given with a degree of "illumination" isn't written explicitly in the Torah when recounting the Giving of the Torah, however it can be deduced, in the following manner.
The Gemara in Megilla says:
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: ״אוֹרָה״ — זוֹ תּוֹרָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר״.
Rav Yehuda said: “Light”; this is referring to the Torah that they once again studied. And similarly it says: “For the mitzva is a lamp and the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23).
We see from here that the Torah itself possesses a quality of "light" and illumination. It stands to reason, therefore, that it was given with a degree of illumination as well.
תּוֹרַת חַיִּים
The beracha adds the adjective "of life" to describe the noun "Torah" mirroring how the passuk in Devarim. In describing the imperative of every Jew to adhere to the Torah's laws, the Torah adds that following the Torah brings a richness to life itself.
(כ) לְאַֽהֲבָה֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹל֖וֹ וּלְדׇבְקָה־ב֑וֹ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא חַיֶּ֙יךָ֙ וְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמֶ֔יךָ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת עַל־הָאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֧ה לַאֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם לְיִצְחָ֥ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃ {פ}
(20) by loving your God יהוה, heeding God’s commands, and holding fast to [God]. For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that יהוה swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them.
Since the observance and study of Torah is literally a life-giving source for a person's life, the beracha attaches its life-giving powers to its very title - "a Torah of life".
תּוֹרַת חַיִּים וְאַהֲבַת חֶֽסֶד
Machzor Kol Bo sees these two terms as describing the two parts of Torah - the Written Law and the Oral Law. תּוֹרַת חַיִּים refers to the Written Law while וְאַהֲבַת חֶֽסֶד refers to the Oral Law.
The reference of תּוֹרַת חַיִּים to the Written Law is pretty straightforward, but where is the Oral Law alluded to in אַהֲבַת חֶֽסֶד?
Etz Yosef says that the passuk in Mishlei refers to Torah as חֶֽסֶד as it says:
(כו) פִּ֭יהָ פָּתְחָ֣ה בְחׇכְמָ֑ה וְת֥וֹרַת חֶ֝֗סֶד עַל־לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ׃
(26) Her mouth is full of wisdom, Her tongue with kindly teaching.
Coupling the Kol Bo's interpretation with the allusion of the clause to Yaakov Avinu, it emerges a very interesting thing: Yaakov Avinu not only learned the Written Law, but he also immersed himself in the Oral Law as well. The idea of the Oral Laws being known before Matan Torah has its roots in Chazal in many places.
But if all of the Avos were well-versed in the Oral Law before it was given why is Yaakov Avinu singled out as the one who learned Written and Oral Law?
Perhaps we can say that the Oral Law that Yaakov Avinu learned was of a different nature than what the other Avos learned. The Emes L'Yaakov says that the Torah Yaakov learned in Shem and Ever was "Toras Galus" which demands one to always be immersed in it and learning it, as Tzlach says in his introduction to Shas.
(Proof to this being the nature of Toras Galus which Yaakov learned in Shem and Ever is from the fact that Chazal say that Yaakov Avinu was constantly speaking and thinking in Torah even as he was working by Lavan, so as to keep himself connected to Hashem even in the house of Lavan.
Also, Chazal say that Yaakov gave over the Torah of Shem and Ever to Yosef because Yosef was also going to be in a spiritually dangerous environment, and Chazal say that in Mitzrayim, Yosef's lips were always moving.)
Therefore, because Yaakov the Oral Law in its most challenging and immersive form, the Oral Law is said in ireference to Yaakov Avinu.
Alternatively, from the Emes L'Yaakov (ibid) it is implied that Yaakov involved himself in "shimush Talmidei Chachamim" which the other Avos did not have, and therefore he acquired a better understanding of Oral Law.
This would also fit well with the allusion of Oral Law into the words "Ahavas Chesed" which is based off of the passuk in Mishlei, because the Ketzos HaChoshen in his introduction learns this passuk as an allusion to the primacy of Chazal in the understanding and explanation of the Torah, see there ar length.
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וּצְדָקָה וּבְרָכָה וְרַחֲמִים וְחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם. וְטוֹב בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל־עֵת וּבְכָל־שָׁעָה בִּשְׁלוֹמֶֽךָ:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְ֒בָרֵךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁלוֹם:
righteousness, blessing, compassion, life and peace. And may it be good in Your sight to bless Your people, Israel, at all times and at every moment with Your peace.
Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who blesses His people Israel with peace.
וְטוֹב בְּעֵינֶֽיךָ
The simple translation here is stating a fact, "it is good in your eyes, etc." Etz Yosef brings from Abudraham that this should be read as a supplication, and may it be good in your eyes, etc."
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה הַמְ֒בָרֵךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁלוֹם
This beracha, the beracha of Peace, is the final beracha of Shemoneh Esrei proper (Elokai Netzor is a later addition). Why did Chazal see fit to end off Shmeoneh Esrei with a request for peace?
Etz Yosef quotes the Avudraham who says that the reason for this is predicated on the fact that our Avodas Hatefilla is a substitute for actual Avodah in the Beis Hamikdash, and being that in the Temple the service ended with Birchas Kohanim, so too as we conclude the virtual Avodah, we make reference to Birchas Kohanim (as explained above, this Beracha has several allusions to Birchas Kohanim).